Maybe to try to change his mind or give it one last shot?
Or maybe they are GIVING him the plane as an incentive?

I too think its to bring him to Denver....and start overpaying .

Yeah, no kidding. They've bet EVERYTHING this FA season on him. Even if they feel it slipping through their fingers, this is exactly what you'd expect them to do. Or maybe they think they're going to close it.

I don't see how paying Frankenpeyton more than Tom Brady (or anyone else in the league) is 'about right'

And the injury clauses mean next to nothing to me. You can get the money back, but you can't get what you would've done with that money back. If they pull the trigger on this, they'll be completely undoing what they said their long term plan was. And that was the right plan.

If they guarantee the guy 40, which is what everyone's saying, that's at least a 20 million hit for 2 years on the cap. Protection beyond that is almost worthless, because that's the point at which we're the 2011 Colts.

Starting over. Probably with no Champ. Von starting to think about where to go on his next contract, same with DT. Doom'll be looking to get his final big contract and will shop.

This team will completely expire all at once. Right in time for a 2012 Colts style fire sale. Except assuming Peyton plays us into an early playoff exit the year before, we'll have nothing resembling Andrew Luck to console us (or attract talent)

We're playing to become the 2011 Colts in 2014. Except with more downside. The only thing that makes the risk worth it is a trophy. And Manning's good for that once every 14 years, if you give him some of the best talent in the league.

This play by our front office is the dumbest risk the franchise has ever taken.

I dont really get the risk. I assume the broncos front office looks at the current squad and says "this is a 6-10 team"

I agree with the concept of building a team. Elway has been on a championship team. And if there's one guy who can appreciate the benefits of a good running game, I assure you, it's Elway.

Absolutely. If we get Manning now my concern is that we lose sight and financial ability to really build the core of these things to move forward. If they get Manning they will need to significantly improve their draft success going forward because that truly is the best "value" pool to draw from.

Again, I think we have something very special in TT and he is a player worth investing in and worth putting chips on the table for. I think his physical abilities are rare for any position. Commitment, work ethic, leadership, all traits that can not be coached. Can't happen. The only problem he has is throwing the damn ball. BFD. As much as TT gets harped on for being in the NFL and not tossing an NFL ball I say we have NFL coaches. Damn them if they can't coach a guy like TT to throw a damn ball. Period. End of story. If they can't teach TT to throw a football then they have no business being a part of the game, at any level, whatsoever. Period. End of story. No questions, no doubts, no arguments.